Israeli forces prepare for clashes ahead of Trump's Jerusalem declaration

JERUSALEM, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli security forces were "preparing" for clashes with Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

A military official told local media that Israel's army was "preparing for possible escalation," including violent rallies.

In the city of Bethlehem on Tuesday night, posters of Trump were burnt in a rally that started after a senior White House official confirmed Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday.

Trump is also expected to announce that the U.S. embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but the move will not be carried out immediately, according to the official.

The announcement will mark a change in U.S. policy, which has never recognized the annexed city as part of Israel.

Palestinian officials have warned that the move will "kill" any chance for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who consider East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

East Jerusalem is a predominantly Palestinian territory, which Israel seized from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it shortly later. The annexation was never recognized by the international community.

Trump's announcement is expected to trigger an angry response by the Palestinians as well as by Jordan and other Muslim countries, which have already warned such a move would be unacceptable.

Jerusalem is a site holy to both Muslims and Jews. The Old City in eastern Jerusalem is home to the al-Aqsa mosque compound, a site known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif ("the Nobel Sanctuary") and to Jews as the Temple Mount. Jordan is the custodian of the compound. Enditem